Followin' Those Instincts
by laurzz
Summary: DannyLindsay. Season THREE SOOH oneshot; just because old school DL is always fun! "We’re more than beer and buffalo burgers, Messer.” Lindsay informed him. “Judging from this restaurant, you’re not...”


**A/N: So, hi guys! This one is a completely random season 3 oneshot that I have been working on for a while now. I really wanted to write some old school DL, and this was the end result. I hope you like it. **

* * *

_And now we're standing face to face,  
Isn't this world a crazy place?  
Just when I thought our chance had passed,  
You go and save the best for last._

_-Save the Best for Last, Vanessa Williams. _

* * *

The shrill ringing of Danny Messer's cell phone made him stir lightly, but his eyes refused to open.

_Leave it to go to voicemail, _he decided before turning in his bed and snuggling further into the pillow.

The ringing ceased and he let out a breath; slowly drifting towards sleep again, until the shrill ringing started back up. He peeled an eye open and tried to make his vision focus before reaching to his bedside table to shut the offending object up; except his covers that he was staring at didn't exactly... match the ones he had at home. Nor did this single bed he was laying on.

Which begged the question – where the hell was he?

He sat up in bed ignoring the phone for a minute; right now his main focus was trying to figure out where the hell he'd ended up. He knew he'd been running himself into the ground after Lindsay had left for Montana, but he hadn't realised he'd been so bad. He blinked once, twice, three times before the previous day's events came rushing back to him.

When he'd gone to sleep that night, there'd been a certain girl wrapped in his arms. She made her presence known by tangling her feet around his, and sneakily inhaling his scent every so often as she languidly kissed him; thanking him silently for being there for her when she needed him the mos. To which of course, he happily returned the thanks.

He sat up and smiled – like he had the night before - at Lindsay Monroe's childhood bedroom. He'd imagined pink; so of course she went and squashed his visions of her younger days and had a purple room. He imagined Horse Riding ribbons strewn across the walls with pictures of her winning horses, and maybe a little hat she used to wear. So instead there were Tennis trophies and an old battered tennis racket strung up on the wall. He half prayed for a cheerleading shrine, pom poms maybe? A nostalgic cheerleading outfit? A few pictures perhaps? He smirked. She'd come through for him on that one – and he had made a mental note to ask her to perform some of her chants at a later date. See how high her leg would go if he was pushing it.

His exploration of Lindsay's bedroom was brought to an abrupt end as his cell phone burst out, begging to be answered. He reached over to Lindsay's little bedside table and quickly answered the call.

"I hope you're out gettin' me breakfast, and you've not left me here all alone after sleepin' with me last night." He smirked down the line, praying it wasn't too soon to crack such a joke.

"I don't sleep with people on the first night," she deadpanned, making Danny's stomach drop. She then giggled down the line. "You'd be so lucky. This morning you looked hard in concentration in that dream you were having. It was a task wiggling out of that hold your arms had on me... Do I wanna know what you were dreaming about, Messer?"

The words, "the hold your arms had on me," rang in his ears, rendering him speechless to answer her question.

"I'm going to take that as, 'yeah, you really don't want to know Lindsay...'."

"You do that, sweetheart," he teased. "So, to what do I owe this early mornin' wakeup call?"

"It's eleven thirty, Danny. It's not early."

"It's early when I'm in Montana and there's no possible way I could be called into work... Especially when I had my girl with me in bed with nothing better to do then to just lay with her..."

Now, it was Lindsay's turn to be rendered speechless.

"Linds?"

"Hmm? Sorry..." she coughed, "Yeah, I... I have a favour to ask."

"So long as it doesn't require me racking up any more frequent flyer miles..."

Ignoring his smartass comment, she continued. "I know the tour I gave you was only brief yesterday, but is there any way you could make your way down to that tire place... you know on the corner I pointed out to you?"

"I'm unsure... remind me of the name again," he said done the phone line with a smirk.

"Danny..."

"Humour me Linds, c'mon."

"Bozeman Tire Rama." She sighed heavily and dramatically.

Danny snorted.

"Danny!" Lindsay cried.

"I'm sorry, sorry... it's just... Tire Rama... I swear... Only in Montana."

"Will you please come down here and help me..."

"You havin' a little trouble there, Lindsay? Need a big strong man to come rescue you?"

"If I needed a big strong man, d'ya really think I would have called you?"

"Ooh. Burn." Danny deadpanned. "Little touchy there aren't we, Montana?"

"Can you just get your ass outta bed and come help me?"

"What am I helpin' you with?"

"Please Danny? Don't make this harder than what it is for me."

"Well what am I supposed to be helping you with?"

"Mytirepressure." She muttered under her breath

"Sorry, I don't understand embarrassed Lindsay... you'll have to speak up and clear, Linds."

She sighed, the conversation obviously paining her greatly. "My... my tire pressure is really low and I don't know how to fill it up with the air stuff."

Danny couldn't fight back the chuckle that bubbled out of him. "You're already callin' me to do your manly stuff? How'd you cope without me before? Surely country girl Lindsay Monroe knows how to pump up her tires on her old beat up car..."

"You don't get your ass down here you'll see how I used to get it done."

"Do I hear a threat Lindsay?"

"No," she whispered down the line. "It's a promise."

"I'll see you in ten."

"Make it five."

Danny merely stared at his phone for a moment after Lindsay had abruptly hung up. He then sprung from Lindsay's bed and pulled his jeans on.

Montana banter was back; in its full force.

And Daniel Messer couldn't have been happier.

* * *

After a slightly awkward walk of shame conversation with Lindsay's father, Danny had quickly made his way to the garage Lindsay had mentioned to him.

As he pulled up in his rental car, he smirked as his eyes fell onto Lindsay; stood with her arms folded across her chest, her jeans riding low on her hips and a warm brown sweater enclosing her as she stood waiting. For him.

He quickly got out of his car and headed over to her, where she'd parked next to the tyre pressure pump.

"Surely there was someone that would'a taken pity on you," Danny smirked. "Some guy that works here. You could'a hitched your sweater up a little, shown a little midriff..."

Lindsay snorted. "Yeah..."

"What?" Danny smirked as he handed her his leather jacket and rolled his sleeves up. "What you do? Torture the guy in High School?" Danny gestured over to the mechanic in the shop.

"You could say somethin' like that." She muttered before licking her lips and changing the way she was stood.

Danny, who had leant down turned and smirked at her. "Was Miss Cheerleader a bitch in High School? Did you turn down all the pretty cowboys?"

Lindsay sighed heavily. "Danny... please? Just fill the tires up with some damn air so we can go get lunch or something."

"No, I'm intrigued... Why couldn't you get Mr. Mechanic over there to give you a hand?"

"Because..." Lindsay growled. "Just, come on... Please?"

Realising he was pushing the limits with her he pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning and examining the machine. Moving to Lindsay's car he grabbed the manual handbook and turned to the page specifying the correct tire pressure. He then moved back to the machine and input the data and made work on pumping her tires up.

"I'll go give the guys some money for use of the pump," Lindsay said snippily after he had successfully filled three of her tires up. "You gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine," he answered as he finished off the last tire and screwed the dust cap back on tightly.

He let the hose wind back into the machine and moved to Lindsay's car and leant against the bonnet. It was obvious that she knew the guy sat in the shop – he'd been staring the whole time. However, when Lindsay turned slightly so that Danny could see the look her on her face it left him with an unsettled feeling. It was when Lindsay slammed her purse down on the counter and pointed angrily at the mechanic, he saw his cue to butt in.

His strides increased as he headed over to where she was stood, giving as good as what she got.

"...And, for your information, had it been you that night, you would have done the same thing. It's not my fault he walked into that diner. I did my part of testifying.... and getting a first degree murder charge put against his name. But apparently that isn't fucking good enough!"

"Look, New York... I was just sayin' that..."

"I think you've _just _said enough," Danny growled as his hand automatically slipped itself around Lindsay's waist, pulling her into his side. "Like Lindsay said, if you would have been there that night you would have probably done the same thing... but you know what, you weren't there; so you wouldn't know what to do. So, I suggest you back the hell off and leave her alone."

"You can't come from your fancy pants New York penthouse from your fancy pants Crime Lab job and give me all this shit, when you don't even know half the stuff that's gone on and you think 'cause you work with her now you know all about what happened... but you don't!"

"I suggest you shut up before I personally shut you up," Danny growled as he slammed a five dollar bill on the counter. "You have a nice day now... jackass."

And with that, Danny's hand slid down between himself and Lindsay, and took her hand and squeezed it lightly, before grabbing her purse with the other and tugging her back to their cars.

"Leave it," he whispered as he felt her fighting with him to go back and stick up for herself. "I'm proud of you about what you did yesterday. You did the right thing. You always have done the right thing. He doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about."

Lindsay huffed and gripped onto Danny's hand, her fingers moulding together with his as she let out a frustrated growl.

"C'mon... Don't let him see you pissed. You never let me see you pissed. Don't give him the satisfaction like you won't give it to me."

"But Dan... he..."

"I know honey," he whispered. "Just get in the car and we'll go to a diner or wherever and we can talk there. Eat lunch. Take some time to ourselves..."

"But Danny, he..."

"Montana," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "C'mon. You know the deal with small towns. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone thinks they're part of everyone else's business. I know that and I'm a city boy."

Lindsay let out a breath as he opened her car door for her. "Get in," he said, "You drive to wherever it is you Montanans eat, and we'll get lunch."

She took a deep breath and nodded as he tossed her purse into the passenger seat. She turned to get into the driver's side, but paused and turned back towards him. Before he could ask her what she was doing, her small hands were cupping his cheeks, and she was stood on her tiptoes; placing a gentle kiss to his lips. Within mere seconds, his hands had gone to her waist and he pulled her towards him, lifting her up slightly as he eagerly responded to the kiss.

Once she'd pulled away, she continued to stand on her tiptoes and lay her head against his forehead. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips.

"You haven't seen me do anythin' for you yet, Linds." He replied before nudging her into the car.

"Where are we going to meet?"

"Where we went yesterday and they had those cheeseburgers. There. It's safe there."

"Safe?"

"I hear about those Buffalo burger rumours," he told her. "And as well, if I lose you, I know how to get there."

"You plannin' on losing me?" she giggled as she settled in the front seat.

"I don't ever plan on losin' you." He assured her before shutting her door. "Buckle up. Don't stop for hitchhikers or hobos."

"Yes sir," she smirked.

"No stoppin' for cowboys either."

"Hell, I won't even stop for you if you carry on... Move. I'm starving."

Danny smiled as he stepped away from her car and headed behind to his rental.

He settled in the car and quickly turned the key, when he noticed Lindsay hanging out of her window. Carefully rolling his window down, he hung his head out slightly and smiled at her. "Problem?"

"Try to keep up."

"Get your head back in the vehicle, wiseass." Danny smirked at her before rolling his window back up and shivering at the February breeze that the window had let in.

He saw her smiling at him in her rear view mirror and a warm feeling spread through him.

He finally had his Lindsay.

* * *

The journey across town from Bozeman's tire Rama to Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que –something-or-other took less than five minutes. It'd given Danny a brief chance of looking around Lindsay's childhood town... More specifically the names they gave their businesses; which had not yet failed to amuse Danny highly.

Chuckling, he watched Lindsay sit in front of him at the stoplight just before the turning for the parking lot of Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que. Considering Lindsay didn't have a car back home in New York; it was downright weird for Danny to see Lindsay driving. She'd driven the avalanche from time to time; but she usually just sat in the passenger seat and let one of the guys drive. However, seeing her in her own car in her own element... It really brought a smile to Danny's face. He'd caught her dancing at the first stop light they had reached. It had started with her tapping the wheel and ended with Danny honking his horn, desperate to get Lindsay's attention as she obviously sung and danced along to whatever was playing on her radio station. Seeing her so carefree was something Danny had never seen and it opened his eyes a little as to what Lindsay Monroe was really like.

Lindsay took off; waking Danny from his revere as he quickly sped after her into the parking lot. She zoomed off to a random space and parked perfectly within the lines.

Danny however, feeling confident drove past his picked space and decided to reverse in.

And as soon as he had done so, he regretted it.

Lindsay had realised what he was planning on and smirked as she leant against the bonnet of her car as Danny desperately tried to get his rental into the space in one go.

"Do it for your man pride." He muttered to himself as he licked his lips in concentration. "She'll never let you live it down,"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lindsay pushed up off her car and headed towards Danny, the smirk on her face evident the whole time he battled with his car

"Just get it in the lines." Danny told himself. "It don't gotta be straight." He glanced up and sighed. "Okay, if it means taking the other car out, do it."

Now stood opposite Danny's line of sight, Lindsay licked her lips and watched contently as Detective Daniel Messer struggled over parking a car. He could leap from buildings; make a grown man cry; take down a guy twice the size of him...

... But park a car, he apparently couldn't do.

Eventually, Lindsay saw him roll his window down and she motioned towards him. "Need some help, city boy?"

"Could you do me a favour?"

"Want me to park it for you?"

"No, could you turn around?" he mumbled. "You're putting me off."

"Oh my... Danny!" Lindsay cried. "Are you serious?"

"They must have smaller spaces here." He cried in his defence. "Montana! Please?"

She sighed but turned nonetheless, using the windscreen she was facing to see Danny in it's reflection. She giggled silently to herself as Danny successfully park his car.

She listened to his door shut and the click of the lock, but decided against turning, just to see what he'd do.

Within seconds, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her waist, pulling her close to him and turning her. A flutter of butterflies spread through her at the affectionate way in which Danny held her close. The protection he offered her. Even if he was just a friend.

A friend that would fly across the continent when she needed him the most.

He turned her in his arms and smiled at her. "I did that to make you smile, ya'know... Make you feel superior."

Lindsay raised an eyebrow. "That right?"

"I'm hungry." He said randomly, changing the subject. "Shall we move this inside?"

Lindsay giggled and nodded. Danny lowered his arms and Lindsay shuddered a little from the loss of warmth and contact. The two walked toward the restaurant, arms touching; fingertips grazing the others. Lindsay desperately wanted to just reach that little bit further and intertwine her fingers through Danny's; and just as she was about to, Danny moved slightly, instantly drawing a sigh from Lindsay. The sigh however was cut short when his warm hand took her's and laced their fingers together.

She turned to him and smiled; acknowledging his move, to which he just tightened his grip.

With his free hand, he reached for the door and held it open, letting Lindsay lead the way as she tugged him in after her.

"Table for two," Danny stated to the waitress on the door to the restaurant.

"Huh?"

"A table?" Danny repeated. "For two."

"Oh. We only have booths avaliable."

Danny blinked at Lindsay who was biting back a laugh. "That's okay, we'll take whatever."

"You wanna eat?"

Danny bit back the remark that he just wanted to sit at a table for the thrill of it. "Yeah, please..." He confirmed with a raised eyebrow. He held his hand out in front of both him and Lindsay, allowing Lindsay to lead the way.

"Need a menu?"

Lindsay glanced at Danny and smirked. "No, we'll have two of the number sevens."

The waitress raised her brow. "You sure?"

"Positive." Lindsay smirked at Danny as the waitress hurried off.

"Jesus Lindsay, you need a passport to get into Montana. Just to interact with folk it's like... Damn. You turned out pretty normal, considerin'..."

Lindsay licked her lips and shuffled toward Danny in the booth they were sat in so she was tucked into his side. "Think you'll find that to be Alabama."

Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "What you talkin' about?"

"'You need a passport to get into Montana.'... It's a line from that Reese Witherspoon movie, except it's Alabama. It's good to know you're that way inclined to be able to quote from such a movie. I'll have to keep that in mind."

"My sister..."

"You don't have a sister," Lindsay reminded him.

"If I had a sister..."

"Stop digging that grave, Messer." She teased him.

"So, the weather," Danny promptly changed the subject. "Cold."

"Yeah... it snows in February. Cold is something I'm used to."

"Cold is somethin' I'm used to too."

"Really?" Lindsay gushed sarcastically. "Fancy that..."

"Wiseass." Danny muttered as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "What you order for me anyway?"

Lindsay licked her lips and smirked.

"Say it's a Buffalo burger and watch me hurt you, Monroe."

"Would you really hurt your-..." Lindsay trailed off. "... friend?"

Danny turned in his seat slightly and hooked his finger underneath her chin. "Girlfriend."

A warm, bubbling sensation quickly washed through Lindsay as she looked at Danny in awe. "Girlfriend?"

"I just thought... Maybe we could give that a go? See where it takes us...?"

Lindsay held off on her answer; feeling that Danny had a little more to say. Within seconds, her instincts proved right.

"In that hallway, it killed me seein' you so sad. I had no idea what was goin' on, and I know you had to do this alone and everythin', but I just wish I could have been there for you when you needed someone to talk to, ya'know? We have this..."

"Chemistry?" Lindsay offered with a smile.

"A chemistry," Danny nodded. "I mean, there's no one that makes me feel the way you do, Linds. No one."

She blushed.

"We can go at your pace. Start out as friends; go out on a date when we get home? Whatever you want to do. It's just... my instincts told me to come out here and make sure you were okay, and I think you really needed me. Proving my instincts right." He paused. "And now, my instincts are telling me that we should make a go of us. I..."

She smiled and shuffled closer into Danny's side. She then hooked a finger underneath his chin, pulling him towards her so that her lips were touching his. She smiled before whispering; "I think girlfriend sounds pretty good." Against his lips.

The smile stretched across his tired face before he pressed a loving and lingering kiss to her lips. He broke away and settled in the booth; almost like a weight had been taken from his shoulders.

"So did you really order me a Buffalo burger, girlfriend?"

She giggled and shook her head, "I thought we'd ease you in. A cheeseburger okay?"

"Kind of ya." Danny teased. "Really..." He glanced around the restaurant for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like we'll be in the minority with our boring cheeseburgers. I swear, if I find you've given me Buffalo Montana, you're goin' down."

"We're more than beer and buffalo burgers, Messer." Lindsay informed him.

"Judging from this restaurant, you're not..."

Lindsay playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course," Danny assured her. "I just know you, and I know you'd get a kick outta it."

"Danny," she smiled at him. "You flew across the country to see me while running on empty; if you don't want a buffalo burger I'm not going to..."

He cut her off with a kiss. A kiss she quickly and eagerly responded to.

Lindsay let out a sigh against his lips as she rested her forehead against Danny's. Her worries, issues and turmoil from the past few months were effectively being kissed away by her Danny. Her light in the dark. Her boyfriend. Danny's fingers slid to her waist and pinched her sides, both bringing her out of her revere and making her let out a small squeak of shock. He prodded her nose and stretched in his seat before shifting slightly and draping his arm over her shoulder as she settled into his side.

And for the first time in a long time, Lindsay Monroe was happy. She was carefree. And she was with the person she wanted to be with.

It'd taken her a while to get there; but her life was finally one that brought a smile to her face.

Mostly because of the one man sat next to her. That one man, she silently vowed she'd keep a hold of, because in him, she'd found the only thing she wasn't looking for.

Love.

* * *

**Told you it was pretty random; but I hope it was kind of cute and you enjoyed it. Reviews and thoughts are highly appreciated and never fail to make my day! (:**


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